This invention relates generally to social networking, and in particular to user interfaces for the sharing of information among members of a social networking system group.
As the technological capabilities and prevalence of social networking have advanced, the ability of a social networking system user to share information has progressed accordingly. When combined with the ability of users of social networking systems to create and join social networking system groups, the ability to share information extends beyond communication with a single recipient. Members of a social networking system group may share information amongst themselves for a variety of purposes, including but not limited to academic or professional collaboration. Each of the variety of contexts in which collaboration among group members is possible possesses a distinct set of needs to maximize the effectiveness of information sharing. As a result, there is a need for flexibility in communication among group members to accommodate this variety of collaborative contexts.
Current social networking systems provide some interfaces for communication among users. Non-real-time communication, such as posting a message on a social networking system “wall,” is one such communication, and is available within the context of a social networking system group. Social networking systems often also provide email-like inboxes for messages sent within the social networking system. Further, some real-time communication solutions are also available, such as targeted instant messaging between two users of a social networking system. However, current social networking system communication schemes do not provide comprehensive communication solutions that accommodate multiple collaborative needs within the context of a social networking system group.